By Associated Press -Public Domain,
The Associated Press reported that President Donald Trump’s administration has once more barred them from covering a White House event due to a conflict regarding the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico. On Thursday, the AP reported that the White House barred one of its reporters from participating in Trump’s news conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The AP reported that the event occurred after its reporters were prevented from attending an executive order signing event and the inauguration of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday and Wednesday.
AP Executive Editor Julie Pace characterized the action as a “deeply concerning escalation” in the Trump administration’s attempts to penalize the news organization for its editorial choices.
“It clearly breaches the First Amendment, and we strongly call on the Trump administration to cease this practice,” said Pace in a statement.
“This marks the third day that AP reporters have been prevented from covering the president – initially as part of the pool, and now from an official press conference – a remarkable disservice to the countless individuals who depend on The Associated Press for unbiased news.”
The Trump administration and the AP have clashed over the news organization’s choice to keep using the “Gulf of Mexico” even after the US president signed an executive order last month to rename the water body to the “Gulf of America”.
The AP has contended that keeping the original name is fitting since Trump’s order holds authority only in the US, while the gulf partially lies within the boundaries of Mexico and Cuba.
On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Trump administration would make media organizations responsible for disseminating “falsehoods.”
“It is a known fact that the body of water near the Louisiana coast is referred to as the Gulf of America.” “And I don’t understand why media organizations hesitate to label it that way,” Leavitt stated, noting that the name has been revised in the official Geographic Names Server and acknowledged by private firms like Apple and Google.
Eugene Daniels, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, on Thursday criticized the Trump administration’s recent choice to refuse the AP access as “outrageous.”
Daniels stated, “The government’s attempt to censor a free press threatens to create a chilling effect on journalists fulfilling their duties without fear or bias for the American public.”
“This is a clear breach of both the First Amendment and the president’s own executive order regarding free speech and the elimination of federal censorship.” We reiterate our request to the White House to promptly change direction and reinstate access for AP journalists.
